Book of Abraham Manuscript, circa July–circa November 1835–B [Abraham 1:4–2:2]
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Source Note
Book of Abraham, [, Geauga Co., OH, ca. July–ca. Nov. 1835]; English in the handwriting of ; hieratic and unknown characters in unidentified handwriting (likely Parrish); six pages; Book of Abraham Manuscripts, CHL. Includes archival markings.Three leaves, the first leaf measuring 12½ × 7⅝ inches (32 × 19 cm) and the second and third leaves measuring 12½ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm). The first leaf is unruled, and the second leaf is ruled with thirty-seven blue lines that are now mostly faded. Both the first and second leaves were originally part of two larger sheets that were cut in half; the other halves of the two larger sheets are now the first and second leaves of Book of Abraham Manuscript–A. Each page bears a vertical line drawn in graphite. These lines form a margin on the left side of each page, ranging in width from ¾ to ⅞ inch (2 cm). Characters from the Book of Breathing for Horos, from the Egyptian Alphabet documents or the Grammar and Alphabet volume, and possibly from other unknown sources were copied in the margins. It appears that paginated the entire manuscript.At some point, the leaves were folded in half, perhaps for storage. Some of the edges of the leaves are worn, and there is some staining and foxing on the leaves. By the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, the pages of this document were labeled in blue ink with the letters S, R, Q, P, N, and O. The handwriting in which this labeling is inscribed is similar to that of early-twentieth-century apostle James E. Talmage. It appears that the leaves may have been stored out of order at the time the labeling was completed, since the letter labels are out of alphabetical order. This document was presumably stored with the Egyptian material mentioned in periodic inventories of the Historian’s Office, which suggests continuous institutional custody.
Footnotes
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1
See Fragment of Book of Breathing for Horos–A, between 238 and ca. 153 bc.
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2
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1]; “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th. April 1855,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Inventory, G. S. L. City March 19, 1858,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue Book March 1858,” [7], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 17 Oct. 1855.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.
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1
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Historical Introduction
created this version of the Book of Abraham, which is closely related to Book of Abraham Manuscript–A, the version created by . Evidence suggests that large portions of this version and Book of Abraham Manuscript–A were created and revised simultaneously. The similarities in the revisions to the manuscripts suggest that Williams and Parrish created these texts by taking down dictation and perhaps by copying from a nonextant version of the Book of Abraham. The heading found at the beginning of Book of Abraham Manuscript–B, which reads “sign of the fifth degree of the first <second> part”, is similar to headings found in the Grammar and Alphabet volume and the Egyptian Alphabet documents, which indicates that this manuscript was associated with JS’s efforts to study the Egyptian language, though the nature of that relationship is uncertain. Because Parrish’s handwriting is larger than Williams’s, this version contains three leaves instead of Williams’s two. It also includes less of the Book of Abraham text than does the Williams manuscript. Later, Parrish copied this version into a volume, the first page of which bears twenty-one lines of prefatory material inscribed by .Unless otherwise indicated in the annotation, Book of Abraham Manuscript–B and Book of Abraham Manuscript–A contain the same text, as well as the same cancellations and insertions. Differences in spelling, capitalization, and punctuation between the two manuscripts are not noted. Because Book of Abraham Manuscript–C was not created alongside the other two versions, differences between it and Book of Abraham Manuscript–B are not tracked closely in the annotation to this version.
Footnotes
| of Chaldea for the offering unto these strange gods both men women and children and it came to pass, that the priest, made an offering unto the god of Pharaoh and also unto the god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians. | |
| (Now the god of Shagreel was the sun) even a thank offering of a child did the preist of Pharaoh offer upon the altar which stood by the hill called Potiphers hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem | |
| —— | |
| ✦ [6] | now this priest had offered upon this altar three virgins at one time who were the daughters of Onitah, one of the royal descent directly from the loins of Ham, these Virgins were offered up because of their virtue they would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of stone, therefore they were Killed upon this altar |
| ✦ [7] | and it was done after the manner of the Egyptians and it came to pass that the priests, laid violence upon me, that they might slay me also, as they did those Virgins, upon this altar, and that you might have a knowledge of this altar, I will refer you to the representation, at the commencement of this record. |
Cite this page
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Document Information
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Footnotes
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This letter was inserted in blue ink in unidentified handwriting.
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8
TEXT: Comma possibly a stray mark.
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9
TEXT: This canceled word is not present in Book of Abraham Manuscript–A.
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10
TEXT: Horizontal rule likely served to separate these two paragraphs.
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11
TEXT: “e◊” possibly “es” or “en”.
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12
TEXT: Faint line under “they” likely meant to separate paragraphs.
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13
TEXT: This insertion is unique to this version; Book of Abraham Manuscript–A has this text inline.
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14
TEXT: “that is” is not canceled in Book of Abraham Manuscript–A. The cancellation “lying before you” is not present in Book of Abraham Manuscript–A.
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15
TEXT: Under this word, there is possible knife-erased writing, ink spots that were wipe- or knife-erased, or accidental ink transfer.
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